Summer McIntosh dominated the 2024 swimming season, winning four world titles, setting three world records, and generally looking nigh-on invincible. She was beaten in just one major race this year, the 800 free, where she still swam the tenth-fastest time in history. McIntosh had already been exceptional in 2024, with three Olympic titles in Paris and multiple individual medals. She set new standards in multiple events and shattered records, including Mireia Belmonte's mark in the 400 IM. With Ariarne Titmus sitting out the 2024-25 season, McIntosh headed into 2025 as the fastest active swimmer in four events and the second-fastest in two more. She kicked off the year with a strong performance at the Southern Zone Speedo Sectionals, breaking the 8:10 barrier in the 800 free. Her next meet focused on her core events, where she clocked impressive times and set records. At Canadian Trials, she shattered Titmus' 400 free World Record and added more records in various events. She won four world titles in 2024, taking her total to eight overall in just three years, and there seems absolutely nothing to suggest that her period of dominance will be short-lived. Oh, and she then dropped two of the fastest swims in history in the 400 free and 200 fly in December, as part of a busy schedule at the U.S. Open. She ended the year with fifteen swims that were top-ten all-time at the point she swam them. With her impressive performances and records, McIntosh was undoubtedly the best swimmer in the world last year, and the 2025 edition of her achievements is even more remarkable.
